A Word for Wednesday

This Word for Wednesday comes from Warren Wiersbe (how's that for alliteration?) by way of David Jeremiah.  I suppose I could also have titled this post "I heard it on the radio," because I did.

According to Wiersbe, "God balances our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble.  If all we had were blessings in our hands, we'd fall right over.  So, the Lord balances the blessings in our hands with burdens on our backs.  That helps us keep steady.  And as we yield to Him, sometimes we can even turn the burdens into blessings."

Dr. Jeremiah went on to say that this God ordained balance of burdens and blessings enable us to stand straight and to be thankful to the Lord for His providence.

I really needed to hear this today.  G and I have definitely been blessed by God, and we have also experienced times when we have carried a heavy burden.  During the times of blessing, it can be so easy to forget about the burdensome times.  So, when God allows a burden to settle upon us, it is often a shock, and the temptation to cry out "Why, Lord?" is great.

But in many ways, burdens can truly be a blessing.  Many people say they have never felt nearer to God than they have when they have faced adversity.  The apostle James tells us to "draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:8  God is always with us, but when things are going well, we tend to feel self-sufficient and foolishly think that we don't need to rely on Him.  Yet, when things fall apart, we are humbled, and we realize what we've known in our hearts all along -- we can't make our way in this life on our own; we need God!

Every day, but especially right now, this day, G and I need the Lord.  We are facing a season of incredible uncertainty like we have never faced before.  But God knows what lies ahead and we can trust Him . . . we will trust Him!

I feel that in this trial, God is calling us to a new level of obedience, faith, trust, and reliance on Him.  One of the scriptures that I am claiming is 1 Peter 5:6 -- Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

God has chosen to humble us, but in His perfect timing, He will exalt us.  As I cast all my anxieties on Him, I can rest in His sovereignty -- without fear, without dismay, because He is my God. He will strengthen me; He will help me, and He will uphold both G and me with His righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Thanks be to God!